It’s one year since Canada and the EU agreed a trade deal known as CETA (the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement).

CETA hasn’t entered into law yet – first it needs to be voted through European and national parliaments – but this could happen as soon as early next year. This is much sooner than the EU-US trade deal TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), which is still being negotiated.

The text of CETA is public and reveals that it contains a lot of the same threats as TTIP. It would make it easier for bad deals like TTIP to be successful. This is why, when CETA comes to the European Parliament, we need our MEPs to vote against it.

Reasons to stop CETA include:

– The agreement contains Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), which allows foreign investors to sue governments for policies they regard as threatening future profits. This could include minimum wage policies, environmental protection, and renationalising public transport, health and education services.

– US investors with bases in Canada will be able to sue our governments for billions too – so they wouldn’t need TTIP‘s ISDS to do damage. 80% of US companies operating in the EU have bases in Canada.

– CETA contains no such provisions for workers’ rights: no compensation, no enforcement, and certainly no secret tribunals!

The costumed protesters from the Global Justice Now movement were targeting the London office of the European Commission, which is trying to revive the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (Ceta) between the EU and Canada.

Like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, a parallel deal between the EU and the US, Ceta would give corporations the power to sue governments in a corporate court for any loss of profits — real or potential — caused by legislation such as minimum wage laws, limits on working hours and health and safety rules.

“It is true that Ceta has been brought back from the dead for now, but it is a ticking time bomb.

“The Wallonia parliament has a promise that they will be able to stop the ratification of Ceta when they get a formal vote on it, and unless there are substantial changes, they — and hopefully other parliaments — will use that veto.

“What’s more, the whole ‘corporate court’ concept will now go to the highest European court to adjudicate on its legality, something which risks invalidating the EU’s entire trade agenda.”

Mr Dearden condemned the British government for not allowing a parliamentary debate on Ceta.

European and Canadian civil society groups call for rejection of CETA: here.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Blair claimed there was “absolutely no reason why we should close off any options.”

While he acknowledged that Britain had voted to leave the EU, he added a caveat, saying: “You can’t change this decision, unless it becomes clear … that the British people have had a change of mind because they have seen the reality of the alternative.”

Mr Blair’s suggestion would see Britain follow the examples of Ireland and the Netherlands, both of which forced their electorates to vote again on EU treaties until acceptance was obtained.

He said the public had voted to leave the EU without knowing the “precise terms of our new relationship with Europe,” adding: “Once we get clarity on that, then we can decide between two alternatives, and not simply decide what we don’t like about Europe.”

Writing in the New European newspaper, Mr Blair said: “The issue is not whether we ignore the will of the people, but whether, as information becomes available and facts take the place of claims, the ‘will’ of the people shifts.”

Failed Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith tweeted: “Tony Blair is right: Brexit is a catastrophe and we must continue to make the case for Europe.”

In Belgium, an agreement was reached at the beginning of the afternoon on the CETA trade agreement, concluded by the EU with Canada. All EU countries had agreed, except Belgium. The Walloons objected and fought a long time for additional commitments. What have they achieved?

The text of the CETA treaty does not change, but Belgium wants to add an attachment at the request of Wallonia.

Belgium will ask the European Court of Justice to rule on the special [ISDS] courts to be established to resolve trade problems. According to the statement these courts are in contravention of previous European agreements. In this way, Belgium is trying to prevent that billion euro claims can be made against governments.

For Flanders and the other regional governments, the European Commission‘s statement that the new courts will not yet start for the time being is sufficient. But not for Wallonia. That is why the agreement says that the Walloon and Brussels parliaments and the German language representatives will not sign the treaty if finally these special courts will come after all.

There will also be a separate assessment of the environmental impact. Moreover, the socio-economic consequences, eg for employment, will also be scrutinized. If it appears that the trade agreement damages one of the regions in Belgium, then the agreement will not be ratified.

Agriculture

The market should not be disturbed, in particular the market of agricultural products. In other words: if there come lots of cheap dairy products from Canada to Europe, making that Walloon farmers can no longer sell their products, then Wallonia reserves the right to intervene.

Products that have been genetically modified will not be allowed to enter Belgium. That means no meat from animals raised with growth hormones. The treaty calls that a limit on new reproductive technologies. The less strict legislation in Canada will not under any circumstances be copied by the European Union.

Call on Belgian MPs to reject this compromise, as concession to Wallonia are not enough: here.

As CETA Rises from Ashes, Campaigners Vow: ‘The More You Insist, the More We Resist’: here.

The CETA trade agreement between the European Union and Canada has been saved. The Walloon [government], which stopped CETA lately, has agreed. It is not known what they have gotten in return for that.

The Walloon Prime Minister Paul Magnette said in response that it had been worth to wait until agreeing with CETA. …

Belgian Prime Minister Michel said … that adjustments had been made, without going into detail.

Correspondent Arjan Noorlander says probably protection for workers against large companies has been increased. That was one of the demands of Magnette.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union (EU) and Canada, which was to have been signed today in Brussels, is in limbo and could soon fall apart after two of Belgium’s four regional administrations demanded changes: here.

Speaking at the bank in London on 26 May, Mrs May went further than her public remarks to explain the economic benefits of staying in the EU, telling staff it was time the UK took a lead in Europe and that she hoped voters would look to the future rather than the past.

British Prime Minister Theresa May once warned her fellow Conservatives of the perils of being known as the “nasty party.” But after 100 days in office, she is in danger of going further, turning the United Kingdom into the nasty country: here.